"The Offer"

Today is an extremely slow day. There is very little to do. Many people are still not in the mood of being productive after the massive layoff that just happened on Tuesday. A total of 100 people were affected here at Corporate, and more at the region and store levels. The CEO held a company-wide meeting yesterday and addressed some of the concerns the employees had. I didn't think his responses helped much. No emails came in today because no one wanted to work. The same goes here.

Some people who were laid off got offered positions in our Singapore or Hawaii offices. I heard that one has already accepted. I wonder that if I was given that offer would I take it? The commitment is 2-4 years, and the position is considered a promotion. The relocation costs will be paid for, and the company will even help you financially break off your existing lease on your apartment should you be renting. Airline tickets, moving costs, etc -- all taken care of. Doesn't sound too bad. But then, what happens to your family and friends here? I guess for those individuals who are emotionally and financially unattached, the decision is easy. For those who have husbands, kids, houses, parents to take of, etc. the decision may be difficult. So what would I do?? I think it all depends. Thank God I didn't have to face such a difficult decision -- otherwise, I would be contacting EVERYONE for their 2 cents (or 200 cents).

Really hoping for the weekend, especially after this long week....

"Pink Slips"

Today is such a gray and depressing day. Some of my closest friends in my old department received their pink slips today, unexpectedly. Two of them were actually the ones who interviewed me, hired me and brought me into this company. I am very depressed and saddened by the news. It's impossible not to become emotionally attached and drained. I will definitely miss them and wish them well. It's hard to imagine coming in to work without them being around.

:(

"Governor's Recall"

It's all over the newspapers so being a Poli-Sci major, I have dedicated today's entry to this topic. This recall is supposedly a very historic event -- no other governor has been successfully put onto the recall ballot except for some governor from North Dakota back in the 1920s. First time ever in California. Truly, I was never a huge supporter of Davis, but I didn't think a recall was necessary. Yeah, the economy is bad, he screwed up on the energy crisis and we are in a $38B deficit.... but, that's just how times are right now. The bubble bursted, as many economists say. I think he became a scapegoat to all these bad events. Wrong place at the wrong time. Had 9/11 not happened and the Iraq crisis not been elevated, I think Bush would probably in the same position of being recalled. Life is realistic, and so is politics.

I found out from news clippings that it will cost the state of California $35M to run this emergency recall election. Yep, a $35M hit to the already deep deficit. When the voters (all 1.3M of them) signed those recall petitions, I wonder how many of them knew about the $35M cost? If majority of them wanted to boot Davis out because of the deficit, then they have just dug the hole even deeper. Truth and Consequences...

So if Davis is booted out, who will be the most qualified person to run? Bill Simon? Arnold Schwarzenegger? You've got to be kidding! Analysts say that there will probably be 100+ candidates trying to fill the spot. It only takes 65 signatures, a $3500 fee, and bam! you can run too!

"Anti-Social"

Have you met anyone who is anti-social? No matter what you ask them to do, or where to go, the answer always come back "no." Sometimes I wonder if they are leading a double life or trying to hide something? Or maybe they are just too afraid to be seen with someone so un-cool? So maybe they are stuck- up? Shy? Reserved? It gets annoying after a while, when you make all efforts to include these people in events or outings -- only to realize that you've wasted your energy and breath. I wonder why anti-social people are this way? A genetic trait or an acquired personality? Are they just trying to be nice not to hurt you by staying out of your way, or if they really have a problem?

"Pure Stupidity"

Just read on the news that some immature person(s) have vandalized the dead whale that washed ashore on Ocean Beach a couple of days ago. They spray-painted and poked holes into the body. I'm not too sure what has gone into the minds of these people?! Are they so bored that they think this is fun or funny? Pure stupidity I'll say!

"Telephone Cords"

Did you ever have telephone cords that just twist and turn, and tangle up for no reason? I spend at least 2 minutes of my day untangling the darn thing only to find out the next time I pick up the phone, the cord gets curled up again. It's frustrating. The last phone I used never caused such problems and it's basically the same phone. So I don't think it's a matter of the make or model of the phone; this cord tangles up, just because.

"Rise of the Machines - Sequel to the Sequel"

My off-the-top-of-the-head guess: There may be some sort of light shooting/reflecting sensor in there that shoots light onto the surface of the bill and reflects its pattern back to the computer. From that reflected pattern, it can tell what bill it is.

If this is not the case, then someone build a machine like this and pay me royalty for using my scenario.

**The Rise of the Machines**

What really amazes me is the "smartness" of vending machines, or any cash-receiving machines for that matter. How can they tell what denominations are the bills you insert? I've always wondered how these machines tell the difference between a ONE or a FIVE? It's easy with coins since they're different sizes, different weight. But bills? They feel the same; they are the same size, same color, almost same everything. Those machines are darn smart. You can never try to outsmart them and trick them into thinking that you've inserted a TWENTY when you only inserted a TEN. Maybe someone can shed some light this way?!

**The 5-minute Rule**

It's 4:30 on a sunny Friday afternoon. It's dead quiet in the office. Most people are either on vacation, on Market trips, or have gone home. I feel like today is the longest day. My boss hasn't left yet. Why hasn't he? His boss is not even here today. Most people in our office adopt the 5-minute rule, which is -- to leave 5 minutes after your boss does. It works like magic everytime. You will be forever known as the hard-working one who stays behind working (or blogging!). On days when you can't leave 5 minutes after your boss, remember to send him a quick email before you leave -- just so it's time-stamped. Then he will know you're still in the office at 7:30. And it helps when you end the email with a "good night." More brownie points there.

**Branding**

I think I might have got suckered into the world-wide phenomenon of "branding." I have never owned a single handbag that is more than $20. To me, it's more about affordability and I am also an advocate of "quantity" over "quality." Better to have 10 cheap ones than 1 expensive one. However, just this past month, our company offered some awesome deals on Gucci handbags. The retails on some of these handbags were well over $600, but our company were selling them for $150 to rid the overstock and excess inventory. So! I bought one of those bags. It is, afterall, a 75% savings for something authentic and in brand-new condition. But I have just realized that $150 is a lot to spend on 1 handbag. What happened to my "quantity" over "quality" motto? Why have I suddenly change to a brand-conscious shopper?

Bees. Ever since I found that there were bees living in our compost, I had a sudden urge to learn about these little flying critters. I am amazed at how much they resemble humans.
(1) I found out that bees don't fly at night. They go back to their hives to rest after a long day's work. Just like humans.
(2) A hive usually contains a colony of female bees who do most of the work while the male bees just stay home moping. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
(3) And last but not least, there is only enough room for ONE Queen bee to rule the colony. Now, THAT really echoes the similarity!

I am now an "Ebayer," as they call it. I never realized how fascinating bidding at Ebay can be. It's a battle game -- you're always trying to guess what is the maximum amount others will bid, how much you would bid, and when to bid -- to win the auction. It's all about winning at the lowest price possible. I held on being the highest bidder for 13 straight hours for a pair of white satin gloves until some dodo outbid me by 50 cents. But the game is not over yet, my friend. I'm going to wait, wait until 10 minutes before the auction ends, and then put in my bid for 50 cents higher. This way, the person will not have enough time to outbid me, and I will eventually win the auction. Hehehehe ;) *Evil laugh*

What's a 2-week notice? A 2-week notice is something I am so on the verge of putting in today.
What's an empty bank account? An empty bank account is something that's preventing me from putting in my 2-week notice.

When you just had enough of your job and want to move on, you would normally turn in your two-weeks notice. What is this 2-weeks anyways? It's barely enough time for your boss to hire your replacement, let alone enough time for you to train him. And it's definitely not enough time to finish your long-outstanding projects. So why 2 weeks, not 3 weeks? Or even 1 week for that matter since nothing is going to get done anyways? The 2-week notice is adopted for the following reasons:

1. It's short enough time to avoid your boss from dumping any additional projects on you (Uh, sorry Boss, no can do!)
2. It's short enough time to create panic and chaos in the office if they can't replace you quickly enough (now, they know what they're missing!)
3. It's short enough time to express the real reason behind your leave without worrying about your upcoming performance review (I hate you, and I hate this job!!)

and...

4. It's long enough time to retrieve any successful projects you've completed for your future portfolio (Yep, I did that!)
5. It's long enough time to clean out your personal junk on your computer (get rid of that Messenger program quick!)
6. It's long enough time to enjoy the farewell lunches and parties your co-workers throw for you ("For he's a jolly good fellow..." no singing plz!)

Today seems like such a long day. Maybe because I'm getting excited about the upcoming long weekend. I'm not going anywhere in particular, but I am grateful for this much anticipated extra time-off. We haven't had a long weekend since end of May and with this new position, I haven't been able to take any days-off. This new position puts me into a situation that if I take any days off, I will end up having to pay for it when I go back. It's similar to when you go shopping, you just buy, buy, buy. The thrills of it. And then your bill comes. Uh-oh. You're in trouble now. It's the same kind of pain.